Paraguay To Move Embassy Back to Tel Aviv

ICEJ News Briefs

The administration of newly elected President of Paraguay, Mario Abdo, announced on Wednesday evening that it is rescinding a decision by the previous administration to move its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promptly ordered Israel’s embassy in Asuncion, Paraguay’s capital, to be closed. “Israel views with extreme gravity the unusual decision by Paraguay that will cast a cloud over relations between the countries,” read a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office.

PLO Secretary-General Saeb Erekat issued a statement saying "We commend Paraguay’s decision to act in accordance with its obligations under international law by closing its embassy in Jerusalem and relocating it to Tel Aviv. President Abdo’s courageous decision shows that the government of Asunción has chosen to go back to the traditional Latin American position of respect for international law and UN resolutions."

Labor Party Holds Rosh Hashanah Event Amidst Turmoil

The Labor Party, which controlled nearly every aspect of governance in Israel from the pre-State foundations during the British Mandate period until 1977 when it lost an election to the recently formed Likud Party for the first time, held a pre-Rosh Hashanah toast in Tel Aviv on Wednesday. Party chairman Avi Gabbay, who has seen his support among the faction’s rank and file slip in recent months, gave a speech in which he declared that “We will win and form the next government” but then admitted that internal problems within the party might make that difficult.

“We don’t have the privilege to fight among ourselves,” Gabbay said. “We cannot waste energy on infighting. Our battle is outside. We have to focus on winning. And to win, we need to unite in our home.”

One Zionist Union MK who was present admitted during an interview with the Jerusalem Post that “There is a worse internal atmosphere than ever. There is a feeling we are coming apart. There is no cooperation and there are bad feelings.”

Iranian Atomic Energy Threatens to Resume Enrichment

A spokesman for Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization warned this week that it "will not return to previous levels if our counterparts leave the [JCPOA nuclear deal], but will instead reach even more advanced levels. We are at a considerably more advanced status than when we signed the deal. The country is moving ahead in nuclear activities at a favorable pace.” Speaking to reporters at the White House on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump said of Iran "When I took office, it was just a question of how long until they took over the entire Middle East. Now they are just worrying about their own survival as a country."

In related news, Human Rights Watch (HRW) Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson blasted Iran on Wednesday for its increased crackdown on dissidents, saying "The most reputable rights defenders, who have stepped up to be the messenger for millions of Iranians' discontent, are now in jail…at a time when everyday life is increasingly difficult for millions of Iranians, rights advocates should be an essential part of solving collective problems, instead of a primary target of the government’s crackdown."

Haley Says Ball In Palestinian Court

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley told reporters in New York on Wednesday that the success or failure of the Trump Administration’s much-anticipated “deal of the century” to bring peace between Israel and the Palestinians rested squarely on Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. “We have ensured that [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu will come to the table,” Haley said. “Abbas for the good of the people needs to come to the table.”

Today's video shows the utter failure of the movement to Boycott, Divest and Sanction (BDS) Israel